


i was young and a menace

by kahlen369



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety Attacks, Asexual Jughead Jones, Bisexual Veronica Lodge, Coming Out, Denial, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Instagram, Mental Health Issues, Past Relationship(s), Questioning Betty Cooper, Social Media, some internalized homophobia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-22
Updated: 2017-10-06
Packaged: 2018-11-03 15:00:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10969665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kahlen369/pseuds/kahlen369
Summary: “Your ex-girlfriend?” Betty squeaks in question, the revelation making her mind whirl, and she can’t help but instinctively blurt out. “Y-you’re gay?”“I’m bi,” Veronica corrects her lightly, and while Archie looks as shocked and bewildered as the blonde feels, the other two boys at the table are not.“I thought you knew.” She continues, looking amused at Betty’s obliviousness. “I wasn’t exactly hiding it.”-Or, Betty uses her supreme investigative skills and social media expertise to dig into Veronica’s Mysterious Past, especially the parts including her apparent bisexuality and ex-girlfriend.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title is taken from the song by Fall Out Boy that I discovered and got really into around the time I was writing this fic. 
> 
> Timeline is kinda hand-wavy. I'd say it's either vaguely post S1 but without any lingering cliffhangers like Fred getting shot, or somewhere late S1, with the investigations kinda stalling and no major drama happening?? Just, ignore The Plot of the show, because it's not too important to this fic, which is more about Veronica's still yet to be filled in past. The other title for this fic was "multiple choice past" for a reason.

So, _apparently_ , Veronica is bisexual and everyone knew about it but her.

 

-

 

Or, well, _Kevin and Jughead_ knew. The former because of some kind of mutual LGBTQA kinship and impeccable gaydar, and the latter because he is just _that_ observant somehow (and possibly also because of his membership as the A in the LGBTQA club)

 

Betty supposes she should be glad she at least found out before _Archie_ , who is so clueless about these things it would be an honest embarrassment to know something after him.

 

But it's a cold comfort, when the revelation makes her heart thump in an erratic rhythm that makes her feel like she is two seconds away from a panic attack.

 

-

 

It starts like this:

 

They’re all just hanging out at Pop’s as always, the five of them this time, because Kevin decided to drop by (Joaquin was busy with something slightly shady that he wasn’t pressing too hard about). Despite the addition, it's nothing different from their usual casual chatter, until Veronica launches into a story from New York---involving her _ex-girlfriend._

 

The whole table seems to squeak to a halt, or at least, that’s how it feels to Betty.

 

“Your ex- _girlfriend_?” Betty squeaks in question, the revelation making her mind whirl, and she can’t help but instinctively blurt out. “Y-you’re _gay?_ ”

 

The dark-haired girl tilts her head to the side, and Betty’s heart palpitates a little harder at just how adorable the motion is. The look in her eyes is full of fond exasperation, with the barest hint of nervousness that betrays her. Because she _cares_ about what Betty thinks of her, and that just make the blonde’s heart stammer harder.

 

“I’m _bi_ ,” Veronica corrects her lightly, and while Archie looks as shocked and bewildered as the blonde feels, the other two boys at the table are not.

 

In fact, Kevin is barely holding back an ecstatic grin, while Jughead only shakes his head slightly, looking distinctly uncomfortable but unsurprised.

 

“I thought you knew.” She continues, looking amused at Betty’s obliviousness. “I wasn’t exactly hiding it.”

 

“True story.” The sheriff's son confirms, adding, “You should scroll through her Instagram some time.”

 

“Stalker much, Kev?” Veronica shoots back, but without much venom.

 

“Girl, you know you love the attention.” Kevin rightfully points out.

 

Veronica concedes the point with a shameless grin, before pointing out smugly, “Like you don’t, Mr. Over-1000-posts?”

 

The conversation devolves after that, and topic of Veronica’s apparent sexuality is lost to the ensuing banter about hashtag Instagram moments and just who is the biggest selfie queen at the table.

 

Betty smiles and laughs along with them, but it’s like it’s all underwater or happening to someone else. Her mind is still rocking with the revelation, and the words keep echoing in her mind, drowning out all other noise.

 

-

 

_Veronica likes girls._

 

_-_

 

It shouldn’t be a big deal, really. The fact that Kevin is gay or that Jughead is ace doesn’t faze her, doesn’t make her do anything but want to offer support as a friend. It shouldn’t be any different with Veronica, who is apparently bi and not at all hiding it.

 

But while, the girl is one of her dearest friends, and Betty does want to offer her support---

 

-

 

( _She’s not sure anymore that it’s just as a_ friend _._ )

 

-

 

When Betty goes home, she locks her bedroom door, draws her window curtains closed and generally acts totally shady before she swipes her phone over to Instagram to stalk through Veronica’ Instagram profile. It is, even by Instagram standards, a very pretty collection, not least because it features a very pretty Veronica in ninety percent of the photos, but even the ones without her have such an aesthetic appeal it’s clear that the girl knows her stuff.

 

The newest ones are all from Riverdale. While she hasn’t been here long, she’s certainly made her mark on it, and it shows. The same old Riverdale sights and scenes she’s seen a billion times seem to glow in the frames of Veronica’s Instagram photos. Maybe it’s just the filters, but mostly, Betty thinks, it’s the _girl_

 

There are indeed a lot of selfies, after all, and they are all expertly shot to showcase her beautiful features and impeccable fashion sense, but there are plenty of group shots too. Betty is almost giddily proud to note that she’s a pretty consistent fixture in the latter. There’s the two of them in their River Vixens uniforms, with Cheryl photobombing with a stern frown in the background; getting milkshakes at Pop’s, neon lights casting them in a strange glow; and just hanging out in Veronica’s too fancy for Riverdale (but probably not as good compared to New York) bedroom.

 

For a moment, Betty forgets the reason for her sudden stalker-mode as she looks over the photos, smile creeping onto her face on instinct as she looks at all the pictures of her and the dark-haired girl together.

 

-

 

_B &V, forged in fire. _

 

-

 

There’s certainly a kind of warmth spreading through her at the thought. Betty’s never had a best friend quite like Veronica. Or known anyone like her, period. It’s a little impossible not to get swept up in her.

 

It’s strange to think that they’ve really only known each other for a short while, because by now, it’s almost impossible to remember a time without the brunette by her side. If this collection is any indication, she isn’t the only one who feels that way.

 

If there’s ever been a social butterfly, it’s Veronica Lodge. While the majority of her photos are with Betty, the brunette still has plenty with other friends too. There’s the four of them, of course, and she has plenty of solo shots with just Archie and even Jughead. Kevin is clearly battling for the selfie crown for a reason as he features prominently too. In full costume and out, there’s the Latina with the three Pussycats. Even Cheryl is in a few, during the friend stages of their complicated frenemy relationship.

 

All of the photos are a clear indication of just how much Veronica Lodge has managed to worm her way into Riverdale’s core in only a few months. She so clearly belongs in these pictures, in these places, it’s easy to imagine she was almost here all along (to the point that Betty can almost fabricate an entire childhood spent with an adorable mini V).

 

But, eventually, inevitably, she reaches the point that shows exactly how much of a fantasy that is.

 

Veronica doesn’t talk a lot about her life in New York.

 

Oh, she’ll tell anecdotes every now and then, share snippets of appropriate stories and very rarely, give a tiny glimpse into the girl she used to be, but they’re infrequent and brief, and there’s always the feeling that she’s holding so much more back. For as much as she can talk, for as quick with a word as she is, Veronica can be surprisingly reticent about the details regarding herself.

 

So much so, that doing this---looking through her old Instagram photos---seems almost like an invasion of privacy. The stalkery nature of what Betty’s doing hits her again and she feels a mixture of guilt and shame, even as she reminds herself that this is all public information. Biting her lip, the blonde hesitates. There’s a reason Veronica doesn’t like to talk about it, after all. As a good friend, she should just respect the other girl’s decision and privacy.

 

But on the other hand, _Veronica doesn’t like to talk about it,_ after all. Take the information about her bisexuality, how long did it take for that to come out? Betty had been utterly blindsided, and if it hadn’t been for an offhand comment, she might’ve never found out at all.

 

-

 

_Veronica had a girlfriend._

 

-

 

The blonde still has a million questions about the other bomb Veronica casually dropped, but she already knows she can’t ask them. For one thing, she suspects that the Latina won’t answer. She’ll probably just do that thing she does where she redirects the conversation and deflects attention away from the question. And even if she doesn’t… well, Veronica will probably want to know why she is asking so many questions.

 

Betty doesn’t think she’s ready to answer that question to Veronica.

 

-

 

( _She’s not even ready to answer that to_ herself _, really._ )

 

-

 

So, in the end, she has _no other choice_ but to lowkey stalk Veronica on her social media accounts to try to piece together the mysterious past she’s so firm in not talking about. Starting with her old Instagram photos.

 

Internal war over thanks to this bout of justification, Betty focuses her attention back to her phone, where Veronica’s account awaits.

 

At first glance, it’s not too different from her newer photos. Once again, Veronica proves herself a selfie queen, with beautifully lit shots that make Betty marvel over again at just how gorgeous the brunette truly is.

 

The difference is mostly in the setting, which changes from small town Riverdale to the bright lights and skyscrapers of New York City. But there are quite a few other places featured prominently too, various locales over the world from over a dozen different family vacations over the years. They’re places the blonde’s only ever seen in the magazines and the movies, but are clearly old hat to the jet-setting Lodges.

 

As she goes through photo after photo of Paris, Rome, and Prague, Betty wonders how small Riverdale must seem to the other girl. There are times when it seems too suffocating even to her, and she’s mostly never known any better after growing up here. What must it be like, to go from having the whole world open to you, to having your whole world coalesce into the incredibly tiny borders of Riverdale?

 

-

 

_Veronica doesn’t like to talk about it._

 

-

 

Betty wonders if she’ll ever know, if she’ll ever hear the answer from Veronica’s mouth. If she’ll have to settle for weaving a narrative of her own, imagining the kind of loss that is, frankly, unimaginable to her thanks to her own background.

 

-

 

( _Is that really any different,_ a voice in her mind pipes up, _from any of the other_ fantasies _you’ve been secretly entertaining about her?_ )

 

-

 

She shakes off the thought, and focuses her eyes on the pictures again. The other difference between her new life here and her old life pop up as she scrolls through. Intellectually, Betty is aware just what kind of power and prestige once came with the Lodge name.

 

_You had to be up high to fall so far, after all._

 

But when she’s faced with the everyday reality of Veronica, who smiles so sweetly at her while she wears a River Vixens uniform just like her, it’s hard to think of her as Veronica _Lodge_ , as the daughter of one of the most wealthy and powerful men in the world.

 

It’s not like Veronica doesn’t have all sorts of stories about the MET Gala or Elton John’s after parties, because she certainly does, but it’s different to see such clear photographic evidence of it. There’s Veronica Lodge, in an amazing black and white gown, posing at the aforementioned MET Gala; in a lovely emerald number on the front rows at Fashion Week; rubbing shoulders and posing casually with actual Hollywood stars like it’s no big deal.

 

All of it paints a picture of just what kind of girl she used to be. It’s the kind of girl even Cheryl could only dream of being. The New York socialite. The billionaire's daughter. The high society princess.

 

 _That_ was Veronica Lodge.

 

If her father had never been charged with all those terrible crimes, if she’d never fallen from her pedestal and been forced to move all the way to Riverdale…

 

Betty would have never met _Veronica_ _Lodge_.

 

The thought makes her almost sick to her stomach, as she imagines a life without the brunette ever coming into it. For as much of a hurricane force of nature Veronica’s presence can be at times, her _absence_ is what would truly destroy her.

 

-

 

It takes Betty several deep breaths and some repeated reminders to herself that Veronica is _here_ to calm herself down after that. Her palms take another bruising and she’s sweating a little from the stress of her mini panic attack--but hey, at least she’s living in a reality where the other girl is only a phone call away.

 

-

 

At this point, she’s a tempted to at least shoot a quick text to Veronica. The reassurance of even a little winking emoji would work wonders on her still frayed nerves. But she knows from experience how easy it is to get lost in a conversation with the other girl, and her phone is still set to her Instagram, reminding her that as _interesting_ as this rare glimpse into Pre-Riverdale Veronica’s life is, it’s not what she’s actually supposed to be looking for.

 

-

 

_True story. You should scroll through her Instagram some time._

 

-

 

Kevin’s words have been ringing in her ears almost as much as Ronnie’s, and this entire stalkerfest could probably be blamed on him later, if asked. Urged on by those words, Betty steels her nerves, takes another deep breath and keep scrolling on down. A good investigator chases a lead down to the very end, after all.

 

There are quite a few group shots with various other teenagers who look just as rich and beautiful as her, often tagged with the caption of _#squad_. A few of them seem particularly close to Veronica, if the touchy-feely posing is an indication, but still, none of them seem like they’d fit the description of an “ex-girlfriend”.

 

From her friends’ comments, she’d thought it would be glaringly obvious, so she starts to wonder if she’s missing something and being clueless again somehow, when, she finally hits _it_.

 

As soon as she sees the photo, she gets what both Veronica and Kevin meant immediately.

 

-

 

_I wasn’t exactly hiding it._

 

-

 

It’s a dimly lit shot, with the New York City skyline hovering in the background, but Betty barely sees it. Right in the foreground, taking up all her attention, is Veronica locking lips with another girl. The two of them seem unaware of the photographer, completely wrapped up in each other.

 

The caption goes: “ _Just celebrating with my fave girl. Happy anniversary, babe! xoxo”_

 

 _Fave girl. Happy anniversary. Babe. XOXO._ The words all thump against her mind, a harsh staccato rhythm that matches the sudden racing of her heart. She’s not sure which part of this is more incriminating. All of it, from the photo to the caption, make her want to dig her fingers into her palms again.

 

Definitely not hiding it.

 

So this must be the fabled ex-girlfriend, then, Betty guesses. The conclusion prompts her to take a closer look at the other girl in the photo.

 

It’s hard to make out the features of the other girl thanks to the angle and lighting, but she seems pretty enough, with light green (?) eyes framed by dark makeup and long blonde hair that makes Betty reach up to touch her own blonde locks.

 

-

 

_Veronica likes blondes._

 

_-_

 

The traitorous thought comes without warning, and Betty remembers, with sudden fierce clarity, her first--and only--kiss with Veronica Lodge.

 

-

 

_Do you trust me?_

 

-

 

Even though it only lasted a few seconds, Betty doubts she’ll ever forget the feel of those lips against her. They were soft and fierce and pliant all at once, and she remembers the electricity that had shot down her spine, the moan that had wanted to escape her mouth, the faint taste of cherry lipstick on her tongue.

 

-

 

_Is this what they looked like?_

 

-

 

The thought comes unbidden as Betty looks at the candid shot of Veronica kissing another girl with obvious passion, and she has no idea what to think of the way her heart leaps, the way she needs to suddenly cross her legs to relieve the pressure--

 

Betty clicks away from the photo, and goes back to the rest of her collection, scrolling down again with sudden fierce concentration as she very forcibly keeps her thoughts away from any ache between her thighs.

 

Soon, she finds herself quite distracted, as she finds, after this first one, a sudden deluge of the mystery blonde featured all over Veronica’s Instagram. There are a few more of them kissing, and some skirting the edge of propriety with its PDA, but most of them are casual photos that seem platonic enough at first glance. Whatever the setting, it’s always the two of them, grinning, laughing, posing, and generally acting affectionate with each other.

 

Again, she can’t help but think of her own photos with Veronica.

 

If she’s completely honest with herself, she feels a strange sense of betrayal, of being replaced, though if anything, it’s the other way around.

 

-

 

_Why would you be friends with someone like me?_

 

-

 

Veronica liked to talk a lot about how different Betty was, how good and how special. But Veronica was also a much better liar than she was and very good at deflecting attention away from the things she didn’t want to say.

 

Looking down at the pictures of blonde and brunette together, Betty has to wonder again.

 

-

 

_Do you trust me?_

 

-

 

They’d known each other for all of two days when Veronica had kissed her, supposedly in some misguided attempt at proving something to Cheryl at try-outs. Afterwards, Veronica had ended up kissing Archie too, and at the time, it was that kiss which had drawn more attention.

 

Later though, it was that first kiss that had kept replaying in her mind, that had kept her up at night with the _whys._ In the end, she’s chalked it up to Veronica being Veronica and not given it (too much) further thought.

 

-

 

After the little revelation regarding her sexuality, it’s hard not to think of the kiss and wonder if there was something more to it.

 

Veronica liked girls, after all, didn’t she?

 

-

 

 _Did she like_ Betty?

 

-

 

Now, looking at all of Veronica’s photos with her ex-girlfriend, her pretty blonde ex-girlfriend with more than a little resemblance to Betty…

  
The thought that Veronica might have kissed her out of lingering feelings to her _ex_ makes her heart twist in terrible, painful ways. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty feels a warmth in her heart whenever she thinks about the other girl, and she’s never smiled or laughed so much as when she’s in her presence. So, she doesn't want to look at these photos of Veronica with another blonde and _doubt_
> 
> -
> 
>  
> 
> _Or, Betty uses her supreme investigative skills and social media expertise to uncover The Ex-Girlfriend's identity, and comes to several unsettling revelations along the way._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I was originally supposed to use a background Archie Comics character as Veronica's ex, but I couldn't find anyone who fit with the characterization and history I was going for, so I just used an OC, who is actually based on an OC of mine I frequently use in RP sessions across different fandoms. Her usual playby is Ashley Benson, circa the early seasons of PLL, for a younger look.
> 
> Also, warning for angst ahead and reminder that this is still Beronica engame ;)

 

The thing is, Betty is _used_ to being the spare, the replacement, the second choice, forgotten until she is needed.

 

-

 

It comes with the territory of being the younger sister to Polly Cooper, who was the golden girl, the apple of her parents’ eyes, for the longest time.

 

Beautiful, intelligent and kind, Polly was the perfect daughter, the perfect sister, the perfect girl, and growing up under her shadow had left Betty with alternate feelings of awe and jealousy. No matter what Betty did, how she acted, Polly was always first, always better. Sometimes, it seemed like Polly could do no wrong.

 

But then, she _did_ , and everything fell apart so hard, so suddenly, that Betty was still left reeling from the aftershocks, even as she was forced to try to pick up all the fallen pieces of their house of cards. The parents who’d always seen her only after they saw Polly first, now turned their sights to Betty like she would be their family’s salvation.

 

-

 

It comes too with being Archie Andrews’ childhood friend, the girl he proposed to as a kid but rejects as a teenager because she’s not shiny enough to catch his attention that way anymore.

 

Once upon a time, Betty thought she loved Archie. In her mind, it’s the picture perfect love story: childhood friends turned high school sweethearts turned happily married couple (eventually). The All-American Boy and the Girl-Next Door. It’s the kind of romance people always write about.

 

 _Endgame_ , Kevin called them, and, for the longest time, she believed it.

 

They’ve been in each other’s lives so long, Betty sometimes thinks she knows him better than herself ( _he_ doesn’t have moments where he just _blanks out_ , she’s sure).

 

But then, he does something like spend all summer having an affair with their music teacher, and, Betty thinks she doesn’t know him _at all._

 

-

 

Sometimes, Betty thinks no one knows her at all too. Everyone looks at her but never quite _sees_ her.

 

-

 

_Slaying your dragons, Betty Cooper, one by one._

 

-

 

Somehow, she thought Veronica was _different_.

 

Betty has never fallen so fast into a friendship with someone, never felt so connected after so short a period of time. Everything she’s ever had, she’s had to work at, wait for. Even her childhood friendships with Archie and Jughead hadn’t been so quick to stick.

 

But with Veronica, it was like the most natural thing, the easiest thing. If anything, it’s the other girl who works harder to keep their friendship, Betty thinks, as she recalls expensive cupcakes and bright yellow flowers.

 

-

 

_B &V, forged in fire. _

 

-

 

Betty feels a warmth in her heart whenever she thinks about the other girl, and she’s never smiled or laughed so much as when she’s in her presence. So, she doesn't want to look at these photos of Veronica with another blonde and _doubt._

 

They don’t _really_ look that alike up close, of course. But at a quick glance, they both have the same blonde hair, the same light eyes, and most importantly, the same obvious attachment and affection for Veronica Lodge. And it _hurts._  

 

Maybe she is just reading too much into these photos, after all.

 

-

 

The blonde isn’t so foolish as to believe that the photos tell her everything, after all.

 

She knows better than most how much darkness can be hidden behind a picture perfect facade, what sadness lies beneath a smile, and just the kind of darkness that the bright lights can’t ever hide.

 

Even before all the cracks in their family started showing, for however much her family bemoans their lost perfection, she _knows_ , things were _never_ as perfect as they seemed.

 

Still, she _thinks_ , if she searches far back enough, to those blurry polaroids that consist of her childhood, the blonde can recall loving looks shared between her parents and soft smiles full of affection. She can remember Polly by her side again, long summer days in the sunshine, where they played in the grass and scabbed their knobby knees together. At that point, they’d had family dinners filled with easy conversation and laughter, instead of terse silence or stilted small talk.

 

Betty hoards all these fragments of a happier past like precious gems, sometimes playing them back in her mind like old home movies to comfort herself in the dark of night.

 

Maybe, the blonde is just deliberately forgetting all the bad parts and highlighting the good parts. She knows that it’s probably just nostalgia functioning as the most effective sort of Instagram filter by giving her these glossy image in place of fake smiles and cold eyes.

 

Maybe, she is just hurting herself again, by torturing herself with dreams that can never be reality, and maybe, that is the real reason she is obsessing over Veronica’s revelation regarding her sexuality, and why she needs to scroll through photos of the brunette looking so _happy_ with another blonde.

 

On the rare occasions that Veronica actually opens up about her past, she speaks about it as though they were terribly dark times, where the glitz and the glamour only cast deeper shadows over it all.

 

Faced with photos of nothing but light in those dark eyes, Betty isn’t sure which Veronica to believe.

 

-

 

At this point, the smart thing, the reasonable thing, would be to just _stop_ what she’s doing. Betty has already stalked through enough old photos to paint a reasonably clear portrait of Veronica Lodge's life before coming to Riverdale, and the other blonde she apparently spent a great portion of _that_ life with.

 

She doesn’t need to see any more.

-

 

( _She doesn’t think she can_ take _seeing any more_.)

 

-

 

If she’s being honest, Betty isn’t even sure what she’s doing, or what she’s looking for anymore.

 

She’s already accomplished what she initially set out to do with this stalker session, by finding the clear proof of Veronica’s bisexuality in the many photos of her with her ex-girlfriend.

 

And, like some twist of karmic justice for her shady actions, all she’s gotten for her investigative efforts is a twisting ache in her heart she refuses to acknowledge and even more questions running through her mind that Veronica will never give her the answer to.

 

-

_Who is she?_

-

 

Maybe Veronica will never give her any answers, but Betty is _used_ to working for her answers anyway. A good investigator chases down the leads and works the story until the end. So, Betty goes back to the photo of Veronica with mystery girl, determined to clear up the mystery around her.

 

A quick press of her finger shows the other blonde tagged as _@firegirlxo_ , which is decidedly unhelpful for google name searches but does demonstrate a glimpse into mystery girl’s personality. Unfortunately for her, it’s one that she is unsure how to interpret.

 

-

 

 _Did Veronica date a_ pyromaniac?

-

 

Alright, so it’s a bit much to assume that just from those words, but the fact that she’d chosen this nickname over her actual name is a little _weird_ , to borrow Jughead’s phrasing.

 

Judging by her attire and the inclusion in Veronica’s inner circle and high society life, this _@firegirlxo_ is clearly as much a part of the elite crowd as the brunette once was, so her real name probably already means something to the world, and the fact that she’s choosing to go by a different name seems like it’s saying _something_.

 

Too bad she has no idea what that _something_ actually is.

 

Why _firegirl_? Does she just have a fascination with fire? Is she supposed to be the girl in question, or is this supposed to be referencing an actual firegirl? Is the _xo_ at the end supposed to mean “hugs and kisses” or was it yet another reference she simply didn’t understand?

 

-

 

 _The mystery deepens_ , Betty thinks, and is probably far too invested at this point, as she spends entirely too much time and thought on deciphering the meaning behind a likely insignificant nickname for Instagram.

 

Maybe this is what happens when she spends a large portion of her time and life obsessive over a mystery and then suddenly finds it over. In trying to solve the mystery of Jason’s murder, and his association with Polly, she’s found a strange sort of calling in sleuthing.

 

With Jason’s killer unmasked, the biggest question mark now still floating around Riverdale was Veronica Lodge, the fallen princess with the past.

 

-

 

That’s how she justifies the burning _need_ festering inside her, anyway.

 

-

 

Maybe it’s pointless trying to deny that this is personal, when it so very clearly _is_ , but at this point, cloaking this stalker session in a mask of professional curiosity is the only way Betty can keep it up.

 

If she’s forced to actually examine the feelings these discoveries are bringing out in her, if she has to actually try to untangle the mess of knots that are her _Feelings Toward Veronica Lodge_ …

 

-

 

( _Betty doesn’t think she can handle getting any_ crazier _than she already is_.)

 

-

 

 _Uncover the mystery_ , Betty reminds herself firmly. She needs to _focus_ all her attention on that. So, she forces away all the messy emotions that are clouding her mind, shoves any unhelpful thoughts or memories, and returns to stalking _@firegirlxo_ with a fierce fervor, which is probably deeply unhealthy, but she is way too far gone to care about _that._  

 

-

 

_What did you see in her?_

 

-

 

The next step in her investigation is obvious. So, finally, she leaves Veronica’s photos as she clicks on _@firegirlxo_ again, and gets quickly transferred to a profile that is thankfully set to public so she can see everything. It finally gives her an actual name to put to the face, as her bio states simply:

 

_Alexis Wood, 16, NYC._

 

Unfortunately, the name doesn’t immediately ring any bells. The last name is a fairly common one, though she thinks it also sounds vaguely familiar, in the way a lot of Veronica’s so-called squadmates’ surnames do too. So, as she’d already likely concluded, not necessarily famous herself but related to someone rich and powerful, then, obviously.

 

Betty is a little tempted to out the name through a google search now, but the photos she can glimpse are like a siren call and she finds herself clicking on the first one before she knows it.

 

-

 

In a lot of ways, Alexis’ profile is much like Veronica’s pre-Riverdale one, in that it’s a lot of New York City highlights, faraway exotic locales and rubbing shoulders with people Betty’s only ever seen on TV.

 

But where all of Veronica’s photos, even the most candid seeming shots, held the same signature polish and shine that are present in her similarly signature pearls, not even Alexis’ most posed shots held came close to holding the same.

 

Instead, these are a lot more visibly… Betty doesn’t want to use the word _bad_ , but it’s definitely edgier and racier than anything she’s seen on Veronica or any of her friends’ accounts.

 

She expects it to be different, of course. This is _New York_ , after all, with all its towering skyscrapers and bright lights. This is fancy clubs and bars, despite the fact that Alexis is obviously underage. Even the house parties are set in mansions that made the Blossoms’ _Thornhill_ seem like tiny and rundown.

 

But even so, there’s something familiar about it. There’s a certain _roughness_ found in all them that reminds Betty of the Southside, if anything.

 

There’s an aura of that same sense of recklessness and danger, one that makes her heart thump suddenly, because it’s so _familiar_.

 

-

 

Betty knows she isn’t perfect, far from it, no matter how much Alice Cooper tries to mold her into it. But even if she isn’t perfect, and never will be, she still strives to be _good_.

 

( _So she crushes down all those instincts in her, all the_ rage _and the_ hate _and the_ blackness _that sometimes just wants to rush out---_ )

 

Sometimes, Betty thinks Dark Betty is the _real_ Betty, and Good Betty is just a mask she’s desperately trying to keep on her true self.

 

-

 

_How far were you going to take it?_

 

-

 

There are moments, where Betty has to dig her nails into her palm so hard they bleed because the alternative is wrapping her fingers around someone else’s _neck_.

 

Sure, people say that kind of thing all time the time as a figure of speech, as a joke. But she doesn't think they picture it so _vividly_ , that they feel their hearts pound with vicious _triumph_ at the thought of someone’s face turning blue as their hands wring the air out of them.

 

-

 

_There’s this darkness in me that's overwhelming sometimes._

 

-

 

A _good_ person wouldn’t constantly be fighting these urges that always threaten to bubble inside her. They wouldn’t be feeling the need to scream behind their smiles. They wouldn’t be trembling with the fierce want to just start ripping and smashing everything into pieces too small to ever fix.

 

Betty has to force herself into a tightly wound ball of self-control all the time because the alternative is letting the part of her that is just spinning wildly destroy everything around in sight.

 

-

 

 _Something is very,_ very _wrong with me_.

 

-

 

Sometimes, Betty thinks her parents are wrong, that it isn’t Polly who went crazy, but _her_.

 

-

 

Betty wonders is she’s just projecting her issues into her blonde lookalike here, to imagine what is effectively a _stranger_ , despite her connections to one of her best friends, as someone with the kind of _craziness_ that she tries very hard to pretend doesn’t exist someone inside her.

 

It’s evoking a level of intimacy that makes her feel distinctly ashamed and uncomfortable, like she’s peeking into someone else’s diary and worse, leaving comments on it.

 

-

 

_What happened between you two?_

-

 

But as uncomfortable as she begins to feel about forcing a narrative onto this girl, it’s a different kind of awkwardness that starts crawling over her skin as she starts to scroll more into Alexis Wood’s Instagram.

 

No matter what Cheryl Blossom might say, Betty isn’t a _prude_. Though she might be a “good girl”, it’s not like she’s some kind of puritanical hermit with no idea of how the world works. But maybe she is, just a little.

 

Because looking through Alexis’ photos? Leaves her feeling absolutely _scandalized_.

 

Plastered all over her Instagram, is entirely too much questionable PDA between Alexis and what seems to be the entire teenage population of New York City.

 

Boys and girls (she definitely not hiding _her_ bisexuality), blonde and brunettes, Latinas and Asians, all of it and more are featured on her posts in an endless parade that makes it seem like the girl is a starving man faced with a free buffet.

 

It’s _way_ too much, and it’s definitely _not_ okay.

 

Betty is still a (mostly) normal teenager, with all the interests and hormones that entails too. While she’s not one for them in general, it’s not like she’s never been to at least one wild party. It’s not like Cheryl’s little Seven Minutes in Heaven session at her party was her first time playing the stupid game.

 

So, _yeah_ , she gets that things happen sometimes. A lot of times, even. But no one posts all of those moments on Instagram for everyone to see. They keep it to the closet for a reason, after all.

 

Despite her own complicated feelings on the matter, Betty can’t help but feel angry on Veronica’s behalf, as she scrolls through photo after photo of this girl shamelessly flaunting herself all over everyone. Slut-shaming is _wrong_ , obviously, and she would be a complete hypocrite to do it to Alexis after everything that happened with Chuck (even if a tiny terrible voice inside her says that _she_ would _deserve_ it).

 

But it’s not even about _that_.

 

Ever since her ill-fated confession, Betty tries not to think of Archie in that way anymore, though it’s been hard, sometimes, when the redhead’s seemingly gone out of his way to shove his romantic endeavors in her face. She sees him go to Veronica and Valerie and Cheryl and in quick succession, and each have felt a little like stabs to her heart, and all that was without her ever even actually entering into a _real_ relationship with him.

 

So the fact that it’s only been a few months since Veronica moved to Riverdale and presumably broke up with this girl, and the fact that clearly, she did not wait long to move on and plaster herself all over the next available guy or girl? Betty cannot even imagine how the brunette must feel.

 

-

 

_What were you two like together?_

 

-

 

Eventually, after what seems like photo after photo of someone living a horny teenage boy’s wet dream, Betty reaches a point that paints a markedly different picture of Alexis Wood _._

 

Instead of the usual backdrop of a smoky room, neon lights and dancing bodies, there’s a quiet night sky full of dark imposing towers. The streetlights just above them cast the two figures in a soft yellowish glow, but she thinks it’s the expressions on both their faces as the two lean in for a kiss that really made the picture seem so _warm_.

 

The caption reads: “if you’re just a trick of the light, then i wouldn’t mind being outta my mind. *winking emoji*”

 

It’s a sweet message, even if it is cruder than as the one Betty saw posted on Veronica’s captions, with the kind of play on words she knows the brunette would probably appreciate

 

Considering what she’s seen of this girl’s Instagram so far, with her usual caption being nothing at all or something crude and rude like _*insert middle finger here*_ , it’s almost out-of-character sweet.

 

But maybe, what she’s seeing here is the _real_ Alexis Wood. Or, at least, the one that Veronica saw.

 

Betty wonders if she’s reading too much into this again, if she’s just willing herself to see those green eyes light up when she’s next to Veronica, but seem dull and slightly glassy when she’s with just about anyone else from her rainbow of new lovers.

 

-

 

_Did you love her?_

 

-

 

 

The question lingers in her mind, as she looks at the two girls on the screen, as she tries to match it to some internal vision of love that will either prove or disprove her suspicions. It’s even harder than it sounds, when Betty doesn’t really have the most experience at seeing love in action.

 

But as the blonde takes in the happy smiles on both their faces, what seems like a sparkle in their eyes, on top of the clearly affectionate messages, she wonders if she already has the answer to that question.

 

-

 

_What is she doing here?_

-

 

If Betty were half as as smart as her GPA suggests, she would just stop now, while she’s still somewhat ahead--while she can still breathe through the terrible ache spreading through her veins coming from her stupidly racing heart.

 

But she doesn’t. She _can’t_.

 

The thing is, Betty’s always had a problem with hurting herself, and this is no different. It’s that masochistic side of her that urges her on, that makes her continue to scroll through these photos, where successive shot of a blissfully smiling Veronica with the other blonde stabs into her heart even worse than every time she saw Archie Andrews with someone else.

 

-

 

It’s clearly this same masochistic side that takes control for a moment, because Betty can’t stop herself from bringing up a recent photo of her with the brunette for _comparison_.

 

And she comes to the conclusion that Veronica looks _different_.

 

It’s not obvious, really, because even though the setting and people around her have changed drastically, at first glance, the brunette still seems every inch the high society princess, in her designer clothing, oozing with impeccable grace and confidence no matter what she does. But the closer she stares, the more she looks, the more Betty realizes, that isn't true after all.

 

Once the blonde starts paying more attention, all the little cracks in her perfect facade start to appear. Betty isn’t sure if she’s letting her insecurities affect her vision, but it honestly seems like the other girl  is a shadow of her former self, with her eyes less bright and smiles more strained in every photo of her in Riverdale.

 

The realization of how _unhappy_ Veronica actually is hits her harder and hurts her more than any other revelation she’s had today so far.

 

-

 

 _Betty just wants Veronica to be_ happy _._

 

-

 

Maybe the brunette doesn’t think she’s a good person or that she deserves it at all, but Betty _knows_ , just how much she’s been trying and just what kind of _heart_ she has. Veronica has done so much for so many people in the short time since she’s arrived in Riverdale.

 

Betty thinks of Ethel and Cheryl, of flowers at a hospital waiting room and sleepovers in haunted mansions. She thinks of a guilty breakdown in a school bathroom and a single text that could’ve been the last of a life. She thinks of _slaying your dragons, Betty Cooper, one by one_ , and sweet cupcakes and bright yellow flowers.

 

If anyone deserves to be happy, to have a second chance, it’s Veronica Lodge.

 

-

 

 _Even if that means her being with_ someone else _._

 

-

 

Maybe _especially_ so, because Betty doesn’t think she’ll ever be ready to step out of this shell that she’s spent the past sixteen years of her life crafting, to face the fact that she might actually have less than platonic feelings for her _female_ best friend.

 

It was bad enough when she was faced with that with her _male_ best friend.

 

Betty isn’t ready to go through all of that again, as well as a crisis on her apparent non-heterosexuality, not when she can barely keep herself together most days. Her life has just started to reach some semblance of _normalcy_ again, and maybe she’s just scared or selfish, but she wants to keep it that way.

 

Besides, even though a part of her so very desperately _wants_ to, Betty doesn’t think she could never actually be Veronica’s _girlfriend_ , and make her half as _happy_ as she clearly used to be.

 

-

 

But maybe _Alexis_ can.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty gets a glimpse into the kind of girl Veronica used to be, and thinks the brunette really didn't do her any justice at all.
> 
> _(spoiler: it's a lot less bullying rich bitch, and a lot more sexy dancing and shameless PDA)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...so this took forever. *cries* my muse was being super uncooperative and tbh I'm still not happy with what I've done, but seeing as I still wanna keep my promise of posting this before the S2 premiere, I figured I may as well just post it.
> 
> Next chapter will be better. Probably. Hopefully.

Betty has always been a hyper organized person, the who loves to make detailed lists, color coded with charts and the whole nine yards. Unsurprisingly, she’s been labelled as a Type A personality, the kind who probably has OCD and serious control issues. It’s all true, to an extent.

 

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of satisfaction, when everything is in a neat, organized manner, or, like the skin-crawling anxiety when things are a mess or even in slight disarray. It’s probably not normal to find such a sense of comfort in seeing a her bookshelf properly alphabetized, or her notebooks color coded for each subject, but she does. There are so many things in Betty’s life that are out of control---including  _ herself _ , sometimes---that little things feel like significant victories somehow. 

 

Basically, Betty is a  _ planner _ .

 

So, she can’t help but try to bring some semblance of order to the more chaotic aspects in her life too. Including the part of her life that is being increasingly entangled with one Veronica Lodge. 

 

( _ If Betty is being completely honest, she’s not even sure there’s  _ any _ part of it that is still unconnected to the brunette _ .) 

 

This, of course, apparently, also includes, a half-baked plan to get her best friend with her ex-girlfriend. 

 

Sure, Betty is already starting to think this is maybe a terrible idea, not least because she can practically feel her heart screaming in protest at it. But, like always, she silences the screaming inside her with vigorous planning and organization, throwing the sweet illusion of control over the wildly spinning parts of her. And really, she does think this is for the _ best _ . 

 

Though for  _ who _ , exactly, is not a question she wants to deeply examine at the moment.

 

-x-

 

Anyway, the first step to her plan is simple and obvious:  _ get more information _ .

 

Even after spending entirely too much time stalking both Veronica and Alexis’ Instagrams, Betty still only has the barest of actual fact and a lot of assumptions that may or may not be right. She wants to be able to trust her instinct, but experience has taught her that she’s not exactly the greatest at that ( _ see: her erroneous assumption regarding Veronica’s sexuality _ ).

 

There’s still Twitter and Facebook, and just a plain Google search, but the best thing, probably, would be to just get to straight from the horse’s mouth. As guarded as Veronica can be about her past, Betty wants to believe that if she really directly asked, she’d be able to get answers out of the other girl. The blonde reminds herself that this whole thing did start because the brunette mentioned an offhand story about her ex-girlfriend, so it’s not like the topic is completely taboo. It’s not a completely terrible idea, she thinks (even if her nerves are already starting to protest it), and as far as plans go, it’s simple but effective. 

 

Thus, step one in Betty’s plan to get Veronica back together with her ex-girlfriend will be to subtly interrogate her about it tomorrow. Before class, preferably, because she isn’t sure she can actually stand to have her questions unanswered all day. She knows herself well enough to know she’ll end up distracted in class, and her grades cannot afford such a slip. 

 

-x-

 

That should be the end of it. But the night is long, still. 

 

After, Betty shuts her phone down, plugs it into the charger, and goes down to have dinner with her family, or what’s left of it, anyway. Her parents are already there, and the blonde goes to help her mother set the table _ like a good little daughter _ .

 

As they start eating, her parents attempt vague conversation, such blandly pleasant small talk, Betty wonders when her life turned into a fifties’ sitcom. A few times, they ask her questions, mostly about school, which she answers in the most neutral tones she can manage while her head whirls with terrible bubbling thoughts that blur the line between regular Betty and Dark Betty far too easily. 

 

All in all, it’s a quiet, slightly stilted affair as always, the kind they’ve been ever since she returned over the summer and found her older sister gone--

 

( _ Though really, if she’s honest, it’s been a little awkward and stilted for far longer than that. _ )

 

She’s cutting up her roast chicken, when the knife scratches loudly against the plate by mistake, and she cringes at the sudden noise ( _ pretending that’s the only reason why). _

 

The slip gets her a scolding from her mother to  _ be more careful _ , and it takes all her self control to manage a jerky nod instead of a scream at that. After, if she holds her silverware a little too tightly, then it’s just because  _ she’s being more careful _ . 

 

( _ Sometimes, she’s just so  _ angry _ , and she just want to stab something, punch someone, anything that might, for a moment, quiet the roaring inside of herself---) _

 

But Betty Cooper is a sweet girl-next-door, the perfect daughter (who hasn’t messed up  _ yet _ ), and so, she has family dinners every night and definitely doesn’t think anything but platonic thoughts about her female best friend---who, by the way, her parents  _ already  _ distrust and disapprove of.  

 

Just a little hysterically, Betty wonders if her mother  _ knew _ about Veronica’s sexuality, if it had anything to do with her trying to stop the friendship. Alice Cooper is a  _ journalist,  _ after all, and Veronica’s social media pages might’ve been set to private now, but her ex-girlfriend’s wasn’t.  

 

-x-

  
  


_ “I wasn’t exactly hiding it.” _

 

-x-

 

Betty has no illusions about the fact that her mother is most certainly the type of parent who would do background checks on her daughter’s friends (not to mention whatever history she clearly has with the Lodges already). 

 

For all that Veronica is her  _ best friend _ , it’s beginning to feel like everyone else knows a hell of a lot more about her than she does. 

 

The feeling doesn’t leave, despite her best attempts at putting it out of her mind, as she tries to finish dinner. 

 

All she can see is a slideshow of all the things she’s learned, the pictures she’s seen.  _ Veronica kissing a blond-haired girl, the New York city skyline behind them. The soft glow of happiness on her face, the affectionate undertone of all the captions.  _

 

Betty nearly scrapes her knife against the plate again, and only just manages to stop. All of this has her more than a little distracted, and Betty she restless and jittery, unable to stop her mind from whirring with questions. She needs to do  _ something _ . Get more information. Try Twitter, Facebook or something else. 

 

_ Anything,  _ but to continue sitting through a stupid awkward dinner with her mother who probably knew all this before she did. 

 

Desperation has her eating the rest of her food as fast as she can, wanting to get back to her room as soon as possible. Inevitably, her parents take notice. It’s not like it’s unusual for her to want to get this awkward affair over with quickly, but she’s not usually so  _ obvious _ about it. 

 

“Betty,  _ what _ is the rush?” Her mother asks, a slight edge to her voice.

 

_ Veronica _ , she thinks. “Homework,” she says instead, after a brief pause. She gives a smile to try to sell it but it probably comes off strained instead. 

 

Her mother only frowns, a suspicious look in her eyes that makes Betty think she should probably change all her passwords as soon as possible. But, thankfully, she doesn’t press any further.

 

After a moment of awkward silence, the sound of cutlery fills the air once more. Betty doesn’t quite sigh with relief at being allowed to finish the rest of dinner in peace, but she makes an effort to slow down her pace to something approximating her usual one.

 

Still, she finishes faster than usual, excusing herself to go back up almost immediately.

 

-x-

 

As soon as she’s back in her room, Betty slumps against the door and breathes out, fingers finally unclenching. Family dinners probably aren’t supposed to be emotionally exhausting, she thinks with more than a little bitterness. 

 

For all the turmoil the Lodge family is currently in considering the scandal, Betty still can’t help but wish she had the kind of relationship Veronica has with her mother.  _ They  _ could probably have a conversation without suspicion and mistrust on both sides. _ They _ could and did survive a scandal without sacrificing a daughter for the sake of their image. 

 

The comparisons are endless, and it’s not a rabbit hole she wants to venture into again. Her family issues are  _ not _ what she wants to think about now ( _ or  _ ever _ , if she can help it _ ). Not when she has other things on her mind. 

 

And the thought of Veronica reminds her exactly why she wanted to get out of dinner so quickly (besides the obvious). After taking a readying breath, she gets down to business, shedding her current repressed daughter persona for one of a hard-hitting journalist. 

 

Because by this time tonight, she’s going to know all there is to know about Veronica Lodge’s ex-girlfriend. 

 

If she’s actually serious about this plan of hers ( _ and the churning in her gut keeps screaming  _ no), she should really know more about this girl. So far, all she really knows is what she looks like and that Veronica  _ was _ really into her. It’s not really enough information to go on, so she obviously needs to do further research.  

 

So, after making sure that her doors are locked and blinds closed once more, she boots up her laptop. Once open, she hesitates for only a moment, before she opens up her browser to type in the search bar:  _ Alexis Wood _ .

 

The first results, obviously, lead to social media accounts. But, despite the fairly common name, there aren’t many duplicates, because, apparently, Alexis is proves to be actually kind of famous--enough to warrant a few news articles about her and an _ actual _ Wikipedia page, in fact. 

 

Betty eyes the other headlines with raised brows. Though intrigued, she decides it’s best to start with the basics and clicks on the Wiki article first.

 

-x-

 

Alexis Wood (born July 21, 2000) is a British American dancer, socialite and Youtube personality. She is the second eldest daughter of British business tycoon Charles Wood and Catherine Seymour, great-niece of the Duke of Somerset. 

 

**Life and Career**

 

A classically trained dancer, she was accepted into the Royal Ballet School, one of the world's greatest centres of classical ballet training, at eleven years old, studying there for two years, until she moved to the United States along with the rest of her family. In the UK, she was a winner of several dance competitions, and a finalist in the  _ Youth Edition  _ of the popular dance competition  _ Strictly Come Dancing _ . 

 

Once in New York, she studied at the Brearley School, an all-girls private school located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. She was also accepted into the prestigious pre-college program of Julliard. During this time, she also participated in several dance competitions and showcases. 

 

In 2015, at the age of fourteen, she started a Youtube channel, under the username  _ DancingWithFire _ , where she uploaded music videos, dance tutorials, and vlogs of her daily life. She first gained popularity when she began posted a video of herself fire dancing at a party pool party. 

 

**Personal Life**

 

Alexis Wood has been linked with several high-profile figures, including Youtube personality, Jackie Williamson, and socialite Julius Lambton, though neither were officially confirmed. She has briefly discussed her sexual orientation, addressing questions in one video, by saying,  “Frankly, I don’t care about labels... I just like hot people.”

 

In late 2016, she began dating fellow classmate and socialite Veronica Lodge. Rumors regarding their relationship started when the two were photographed outside a restaurant seemingly locked in an intimate embrace. Though initially denying the rumors, the two eventually announced their relationship status via social media. During their relationship, the Lodge heiress began appearing in Alexis’ videos, as a guest dancer and her girlfriend in vlogs. 

 

After the controversy regarding the Lodge case came out in early 2017, the couple were seen publically fighting at a NYC club. This was their last public appearance together. The split was never officially confirmed, but Alexis was soon spotted being intimate with others, including rumoured former flame, Julius. 

 

-x-

 

_ That was… surprisingly detailed _ , Betty concluded. It’s definitely helpful, but it also feels incredibly unsettling. Having grown up in a small town, she isn’t exactly unfamiliar with a far too active rumor mill, and everyone knowing far too much about everyone else, but this is  _ something else. _

 

This is the world of socialites and stardom, of New York city lights and paparazzi following you around. It’s a world she doesn’t understand, doesn’t know at all. 

 

And, of course, the other blonde turns out to be the daughter of a billionaire, and actually descended from actual  _ nobility _ . Betty isn’t even that surprised, really. Because that’s just the kind of girl Veronica Lodge, a billionaire’s daughter herself (even if that’s currently not the case), would be in a relationship with, clearly. 

 

( _ Not small town Betty, with her small town world, with her girl-next-door pigeonhole, and her distinctly middle-class upbringing.) _

 

But more than just her background, there’s the girl herself. 

 

Alexis is basically the same age as her, yet she’s already so much  _ more _ . She’s quite a dancer, apparently, judging by all the press. Even if her last name likely did play some part in getting her through certain doors, she is clearly  _ talented _ . The blurb about her professional skills lists her knowledge in a wide variety of dance styles, and there’s quite a few awards and trophies to her name in the list of achievements column at the bottom.

 

-x-

 

There’s a link to her Youtube account on the Wiki’s sidebar on the right, underneath a photograph of her posing at some kind of formal event. 

 

The channel is, as expected, filled primarily with dance videos. For the amount of subscribers and views it has, there aren’t actually too many videos. There’s maybe a dozen videos total in the two years since it’s been made, from what Betty can see. 

 

The latest video is nearly half a year.  _ Around the same time Veronica moved to Riverdale, _ Betty notes. As a reporter, a budding detective, she’s learned there’s no such as coincidence, but even if she hadn’t--well,  _ not exactly hiding it _ , indeed. 

 

It’s titled _ samba in prelude,  _ with a thumbnail that shows the silhouette of two people locked in a vaguely sensual embrace. Even then, she can tell immediately just who the two figures are, and just what this video likely holds.

 

The comments have been disabled, which says…  _ something _ .

 

( _ She remembers one of the first conversations she had with the other girl, after they both made the cheer team, about internet trolls and comments _ .)

 

Even with this little context, Betty can’t even pretend not to be very highly interested, and clicks on play button almost immediately, heart beating loudly in her ears. 

 

The music starts, with some smooth saxophone strains, before the singer’s voice croons in low and sensual Spanish she doesn’t understand. Veronica probably does, the blonde reflects, and wonders if she had a hand in the song choice, wonders if it means anything, because she doesn’t understand.

 

( _ She doesn’t understand _ anything _ , if she ever did at all, because this isn’t a side to Veronica Lodge that’s familiar to her. Even though she’s seen the brunette dance against Cheryl Blossom, she knows instinctively that this is  _ different _ \--) _

 

Because Veronica is dancing  _ with _ Alexis, and the two of them are so in-sync, so talented, so  _ beautiful  _ together that Betty can barely bear to look at them. Especially when the dance shifts into something that makes her wonder how she ever thought Veronica was anything resembling straight.

 

The song finally ends, the music cutting off to the sound of their laughter, before fading out to the channel image on one side and thumbnails of other videos on it. 

 

-x-

 

One of the videos that shows up is one plainly titled:  _ Girlfriend Tag! _ The thumbnail is a still of the two girls in yet another vaguely suggestive position that is probably not entirely appropriate for such a public platform 

 

_ (Okay _ ,  _ so maybe Betty is a bit of a  _ prude, _ but she also thinks she would probably not care so much if it was literally any two other people doing it _ ).  

 

All she can think is,  _ definitely not hiding it _ , with a resigned sort of despair. Her stomach churns at the words and accompanying thumbnail. 

 

The other video is titled  _ fire & water _ , with the thumbnail of a hazy silhouette against a pool with smoke coming out of it. Betty guesses this might be the fire dancing video talked about in the wikipedia article.  

 

Looking between the two videos, she decides that she’s probably better off checking out the video that’s without Veronica ( _ and maybe that’s counterproductive to the purposes of her research but she just needs a break from all this, for a moment, okay? _ )

 

So, she clicks on the video that  _ probably _ won’t make her heart palpitate above recommended levels.

 

-x-

 

Once again, the comments have been disabled, and she suspects it’s been done for every video on the channel. Betty thinks about checking, but she is starting to have doubts about whether she can actually handle that.

 

For now, she decides to click play, and is immediately treated to a much fuzzier view than the video before, thanks to a combination of the night lightning and a worse quality camera. The scene is lit mostly by the pool glowing in the background, and the sparks of red coming from the lit ends of the staff Alexis is holding in her arms. The  _ fire & water _ in question, Betty notes, before the music cues up. It’s a fast tribal beat with a lot of drums in it that isn’t the blonde’s style at all, but she barely notices because the girl in the video is  _ moving _ .  

 

Betty has perhaps vaguely heard of the concept of fire dancing, but hasn’t ever really seen or searched for it before. Maybe that’s why she’s so impressed when she sees the young--who looks a good year or two younger than in the last video--handling the fire like it’s nothing. There’s a huge grin on her face, as she dances to the music, doing a few acrobatic flips where the flames come dangerously close to her person. 

 

The dance goes on for a few minutes, until the music reaches its climax, at which point, the girl  _ backflips into the water _ , burning staff of fire in hand and all. The sound of the splash mixes with the music, and the screen is filled with smoke for a few moments. 

 

When Alexis rises to the surface, a wet shadowed silhouette a few moments later, the fading smoke around her, there’s the distant sound of cheering and whooping in the background, before video fades to black a seconds later.

 

-x-

 

Betty doesn’t even know what to think or how to react to that.  _ Well, no wonder it got famous, _ she thinks, as she recalls the wiki article’s words. If the blonde had come across the video browsing normally through the website, she would’ve thought it was incredible, a rather reckless feat she couldn’t even imagine attempting herself, and might’ve shared it on her social media without another thought. 

 

But, seeing the video with the knowledge that this girl is  _ Veronica’s ex-girlfriend _ … well, she’s got decidedly more mixed feelings about it. 

 

( _ And she thought this would be the easier video to watch, ha--if Betty was feeling apprehensive about this  _ research  _ before, she’s certainly worse now _ )

 

There are different videos recommended at the end of this one. One is some kind of dance tutorial to a song she doesn’t know, and the other is a dance performance of some kind where she’s in full costume. Betty thinks about clicking on those, but doesn’t really relish more proof of how much  _ better _ this girl is than her. 

 

Of course, that’s when she sees the sidebar has the video with  _ Girlfriend Tag! _ slapped on it staring right at her, in a way that seems almost accusing. 

 

Considering the title of this one, she thinks she probably definitely shouldn’t watch this video. It had been bad enough staring at photos of the two of them. Seeing a video of them acting all coupley is almost certainly going to be worse. 

 

But Betty is a masochist with no sense of self-control, clearly, so she clicks  _ play _ instead. 

 

-x-

 

The two of them seem to be lounging in bed, with the rest of the room barely visible behind them. Even the brief glimpse of it suggests wealth though, with what her inexperienced eyes judge to be expensive entertainment systems and furniture. Still, however glitzy it seems, it pales in comparison to the glamour of the two girls prominently displayed.

 

Veronica’s hair is a little longer and parted in a different style than she has it nowadays, but it’s one of the only obvious differences in her appearance that mark the clear passage of time. Her makeup is on point as always, eyes dark and lips red, and she’s wearing a shimmery silvery dress with her signature pearls, looking a little like she did in the pictures from the one time she apparently went out clubbing. 

 

Still, besides the hair, and the clothes, it looks almost like the same Veronica she sees almost everyday. 

 

_ Almost _ . Betty wonders if she imagines the way the brunette’s eyes seem to be shining or the way her smile is practically permanently pasted on as she keeps sending looks towards her companion. 

 

In contrast to Veronica’s elegant composure, Alex seems like chaos personified, with her blonde hair falling in messy waves over her face and her makeup a little too smoky for the hour and setting. Dressed in tight leather pants, and a ripped sleeveless band t-shirt that shows what seems to part of a tattoo peeking out from her collar and shoulders, she looks like the very definition of a  _ bad girl _ .

 

Seeing her now, Betty wonders how she ever thought she was  _ anything _ like this girl.

 

( _ She  _ forgets _ , about Dark Betty and the way the brunette’s eyes had widened when she’d come out dressed in black wig and lingerie, because she doesn’t want a connection like that to exist, doesn’t want  _ that _ part of her to be what Veronica  _ wants _ \--) _

 

Despite the bad girl clothes, the look Alexis sends Veronica in return is nothing short of  _ sweet _ . For the first few seconds of the video, the two of them only look at each other, seemingly unaware of their audience, as the blonde says, with a grin, “Why don’t you introduce yourself first, babe?” 

 

It’s the first time Betty’s heard the other girl’s voice, and thus, the moment her brain makes all the proper connections of her bring descended from  _ British nobility, _ and growing up there, so  _ of course  _ she has a British accent.

 

There’s an intriguing contrast in the sophistication of the tone and low, husky quality of her voice, which all makes for a combination that even she can (mostly totally platonically) think is insanely attractive. Just another reason to feel that petty spark of what is definitely-not- _ jealousy _ flare in her gut. 

 

Veronica raises a brow and points out, with a teasing smirk, “Pretty sure  _ you _ are supposed to do this, but seeing as I’m the only one with  _ manners _ in this relationship anyway---” Then, she turns towards the camera, saying with a charming smile, “ _ Hello _ , everyone! I’m Veronica Lodge, no further introduction needed, clearly.” 

 

This makes Alexis laugh, low and husky, a sound that sends tingles down her spine ( _ and okay, Betty is starting to feel emotions other than  _ not-jealousy _ in her gut that is definitely  _ not-attraction _ now _ ).

 

Veronica continues speaking, explaining, “We were supposed to go paint the town red today, hence our ensembles, but seeing as it’s raining  _ grey _ instead, we’re just going to have to light up your screens.”

 

Turning towards the camera as well, the blonde interrupts with a playful smirk, “What she also means is that she got all dressed up and wanted more of an appreciative audience, because, sadly, I alone was not enough.” She pouts, and gives a clearly affected sigh of disappointment. 

 

Beside her, Veronica briefly shakes her head at the dramatics and gives the other girl a light shove with her shoulder before she snarks back, “Are you describing  _ yourself?  _ This is  _ your _ Youtube channel and  _ your _ idea, let me remind you.”

 

“Because I have a bigger audience,  _ duh _ .” Alexis shamelessly brags and dodges the next, harder, shove from Veronica with a laugh. 

 

( _ The easy teasing banter between them makes Betty ache a little and she tries not to compare it to her own relationship with Veronica-- _ )

 

“Only because I don’t even have a Youtube channel, dear.” Veronica points out with a shake of her head. 

 

“ _ Keep telling yourself that, babe _ ,” Alexis sing-songs, and once again dodges a shove, this time, less successfully. 

 

They dissolve into an impromptu wrestling match of sorts, as they seem to forget the camera still trained on them. Their laughter rings out as they “ _ fight” _ , and Betty has to stop herself from pausing and rewind during the point where Veronica’s rides way up high on her thigh while she pins down the other girl. Her heart beats a little too hard then, and it only gets worse when the two of them end up breathing hard and faces way too close to each other. 

 

Betty is watching wide-eyed at the sight of them in such a suggestive position and wondering what will happen next when the screen suddenly turns black just as they move in for a kiss. Then, white text pops with the completely bald-faced lie of a message:  _ just some technical difficulties, folks ;) _

 

-x-

 

Her imagination tries and fails not to go into overdrive when faced with the sight she’s just seen. Thankfully, before it can go too far into x-rated territory, the video pops back in, Veronica and Alexis both looking a little bit worse for the wear, their clothing slightly rumpled and hair askew. 

 

It  _ could _ just be from the physical exertion itself, but then, Veronica’s lipstick is slightly smudged, and she can see blurry red imprints on Alexis’ neck, barely hidden by the collar of her shirt.

 

Betty resists the urge to scream, digging painful crescents deep into her palm, and reminds herself very firmly that the last thing she wants is her parents rushing in to find out what’s wrong and seeing what’s displayed on her laptop scream. The pain in her hands pales in comparison to the wrecked rhythm beating its way in her heart. 

 

“Anyway, we found a list of questions for the girlfriend tag online, geared especially for lovely ladies such as ourselves, so let’s give it a whirl, shall we?” 

 

“Alright, the inevitable obvious first question. Your  _ sexuality? _ ” Alex directs the question at the other girl, but does not pause as she answers first, “I, personally, don’t care about labels. I just like hot people.” 

 

“Aw, thanks, babe.” Veronica says, the sarcasm tempered by the smile on her face.

 

The British girl laughs. “And you’re the hottest of all, obviously.” She says, nudging the other girl’s shoulder with a smirk, before adding, “Besides me. Obviously.”

 

“And  _ you’re _ so modest too.” Veronica says, rolling her eyes, before she turns back towards the camera to add, “ _ I’m _ bisexual, by the way.”

 

“A truly equal opportunity lover, clearly.” Alexis quips, before she claps her hands and announces, “Anyway, onto the other questions!”

 

She’s holding her phone, clearly looking the list up when she says, “ _ When and where did you first meet? _ ”

 

The Lodge heiress tilts her head and explains, “We’ve kind of vaguely known each other forever, since our parents were business associates. Though, of course, being across the ocean, we didn’t really meet each other in person.”

 

“Still, there was probably some international function or another we got dragged into as kids, probably.” Alexis says with a shrug, before looking thoughtful. “Pretty sure there are pictures of it somewhere in our old family albums if we look hard enough. Should we?”

 

“Maybe after this video?” The brunette suggested amusedly. 

 

“If it’s still raining, sure, why not?” She agrees with a shrug, before moving on, with a suggestive raise of her brows, “ _ Anyway _ , next up: choose one word to describe your girlfriend.”

 

“ _ Fiery _ ,” Veronica answers instantly, smirk on her face. Even with only her limited impressions to guide her, Betty agrees immensely.

 

If anything, Alexis seems flattered by the description, grinning as she says, “Of course.  _ Obviously _ .”

 

“And  _ me? _ ”

 

“Hmm…” the blonde hums thoughtfully for a moment as she playacts observing the other girl like a scientist. There’s a few beats before she finally concludes, with a teasing sparkle in her eyes, “ _ Charming _ .” 

 

Betty agrees with  _ that _ assessment too, and thinks of a girl who’d stolen a kiss from her first love, who’d taken all of a day before she’d somehow managed to weasel her way back into her good graces anyhow. It wasn’t the  _ cupcakes _ that had made Betty forgive her, after all. 

 

Veronica laughs, nudging her affectionately as she asks, “Are we sure you aren’t the charmer here?” 

 

“Well, I’m not going to say no to that.” Alex says with an easy smile, that is indeed, Betty is forced to admit, _ charming _ .  

 

Clearly, Veronica feels the same way, because she moves to give the other girl a kiss on the lips, that the blonde on-screen takes full advantage of, as they make-out for a few seconds before the brunette pulls away, lipstick smudged and eyes twinkling.

 

“That’s enough of that, for now.” She finally says, moving away from the other girl, and making Betty not quite sigh with relief now that it’s over. 

 

Veronica picks up the phone dropped onto the bed during their impromptu makeout session. “Alright, let me see the next one. ...Have you ever been mistaken for sisters?” Veronica squints her eyes incredulously at the question. “Seriously? Only by people who don’t understand how genetics work.”

 

“We could be adopted, you know.” Alex points out, with a grin.

 

The brunette only raises a brow. “That still wouldn’t explain the accents.” 

 

“We were estranged,  _ obviously _ ,” is the quick rejoinder to that, as the British girl affects an even snoootier version of her accent, saying, “It was quite the scandal, don’t you know?”

 

Veronica shakes her head. “I take it back. You are a  _ dork _ , babe.” 

 

“A  _ hot  _ dork.” Alex corrects, as she reads the question up next.  _ “Do you have a couple name? _ ”

 

“I’m surprised we don’t, to be honest.”

 

“A tragedy we must correct immediately.” The blonde agrees, before suggesting promptly, “ _ Alexica _ is the obvious choice, I think.”

 

“You’re only saying that so your name comes first.” Veronica objects, and the other girl concedes the point with a shameless grin, before she points out, “I don’t hear a no.” 

 

“Well, it _ is _ cute.” The brunette admits with a shrug and a smile on her face.

 

( _ Beronica is cuter, _ a part of Betty thinks, with what is definitely not a sense of petty vindictiveness.)

 

Veronica’s answer makes the other girl  turn to the camera, announcing with a grin, “You heard it here folks,  _ Alexica _ is officially a go.” 

 

“Whatever you say,” is Veronica’s only response, as she gives an amused shake of her head. “Next up,  _ who spends more when shopping? _ ”

 

“Definitely you,” the British girl announces with a shudder of mock horror.

 

“ _ Perfection _ has a price, dear,” Veronica replies with a flip if her hair. “Now,  _ how do you usually spend your time together?”  _

 

“This quiz, it feels like. Just how much longer is this going to take?” Alexis moans, flopping down onto the bed. 

 

“You remember this is  _ your _ idea and  _ your _ channel, right?” The brunette says dryly. “Do I need to pin you down again?” 

 

Alexis immediately perks up at the suggestion. “Do you even need to ask?” The blonde turns to the camera again, quickly saying, “Well, that’s all for now, folks! We’ve got better things to do now--no offense.” 

 

-x-

 

With that final quip, the video fades to black, and Betty is left staring at the dark screen with even more mixed feelings then before. 

 

They’re…  _ adorable  _ together, frankly. They’re the kind of couple clearly into PDA, who are almost sickeningly sweet together. 

 

Veronica’s an affectionate kind of person. That much Betty knows after nearly a year of hugs, sleepovers and casual touches  _ (that may or may not send her heart into little flips every time _ ), but  _ this _ is something else. This is the kind of touching that definitely can’t be interpreted as anything resembling  _ platonic _ . 

 

This is easy kisses and heated make-outs, dancing together like their one body and being  _ Alexica _ . This is the bright lights of New York City, the glitz and glamour of the rich and famous. This is a girl who backflips into a pool with fire in her hands, and oozes confidence from every pore.

 

Even if she could somehow manage the courage to throw herself into the ring, small-town, questioning-her-identity Betty Cooper doesn’t know how she’s supposed to compete with any of  _ that _ . 

 

-x-

 

Betty closes down the tab after that, firmly deciding there’s no more point in further exploring the channel. She could probably research a bit more on Alexis and go through some of the other Google results, but she thinks there’s little point in that too. 

 

Because she already knows all she needs to know, and now, she just has to come up with a plan.  _ The Plan _ . To get Veronica back with her ex and make her as happy and carefree as she clearly was in this video, dated less than a year ago.

  
( _Because, as this little research session as shown,_ Betty _, with all her_ issues, _her_ inadequacies _, certainly isn’t capable of that_ ) 


End file.
